Stories

Cân Sing, Span’s fortnightly singing workshop for all singing abilities is looking for a new singing leader.

 

We are inviting West Wales based artists, musicians, creative practitioners and or collectives to create new work for our Summer project.

 

We would like to know what you think the future of Span Arts should look like. Help us by completing our short questionnaire.

 

Help guide and support our leadership team through recovery and reopening and help to shape a viable post-covid arts offer for Pembrokeshire

 

We are inviting Wales based sound/music/radio producers to work on a co-created bilingual radio ballad Cân y Ffordd Euraidd / The Song of the Golden Road

 

We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in the second round of Arts Council Wales recovery fund.

 

The banner created by SPAN Arts for the mass participation artwork PROCESSIONS will be displayed in a new exhibition at London Scottish House in Westminster.

 

A fantastic opportunity to work alongside professional artists in a series of art master classes.

 

SPAN has established a new Arts and Health network for Pembrokeshire to build on the growing body of evidence that shows that the arts can play a vital role in transforming communities, tackling loneliness and isolation and improving health and wellbeing.

 

An uplifting biennial celebration of voice.

 

In February 2020, SPAN brought people of all ages together to sing. Featuring Côr Pawb, Everybody's Choir and Narberth A Cappella Youth Group, they raised their voices in union across Pembrokeshire as part of Narberth A Cappella Voice Festival 2020.

 

As a consequence of the Covid-19 Virus pandemic, the Span Arts building in Narberth remains closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Span Arts however remain active and busy online, and our team continue to work from home. We are proud to have been able to continue to provide a full and diverse programme of arts events and activities exclusively online since March 2020. And we are doing everything we can to return to live events and activities in a legal, safe and appropriate manner that considers staff, volunteers, audiences and artists alike when restrictions are lifted. We really hope to see you soon. In the meantime, please visit our COVID pages. Keep well and much love from Span Arts.

 

Gyfres wyth wythnos o Ganu Gwerin Gymraeg a Rhannu gyda’r canwr adnabyddus Jeremy Huw Williams.

 

Thank you for booking your Theatr Soffa seat for Span Arts production of Under Milk Wood in Lock Down! This rehearsed reading will go live at 8pm on 20th June 2020. The production features a community cast - a full cast list will be published here after the performance. The performance lasts c. 60 minutes and is rated PG. There will be no interval so get your refreshments ready! As a ticket holder we ask you politely not to share this link or to record the performance as it is broadcast. This is a live theatre event performed remotely. To view the production in full screen click on Under Milk Wood in the top left corner. We hope you enjoy the show! In the event of any technical difficulties. Please be patient and the stream will resume as soon as possible. If you have enjoyed this performance and would like to watch similar productions in the future please consider donating by clicking the link below: Donate here!

 

As part of National Volunteer Week, Span Arts would like to say a huge THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers, many of whom have been isolating alone for the last 10 weeks. Whilst on lockdown our volunteers have enjoyed getting together weekly for a new online Volunteer Skill Share programme. They have been sharing an incredibly array of skills from gardening to poetry, mindfulness to Welsh. What a talented bunch you are! SPAN Volunteer Nicola told us “Getting together digitally has been such a boost to my wellbeing and really made the shutdown more bearable. Being engaged with others sharing skills in an online environment was a 1st for me and helped me feel connected to others and less isolated and worried.” If you are feeling lonely, bored or frustrated or just want to be part of something friendly and creative then why don't you try one of our Skill Shares. Simply email Siobhan@span-arts.org.uk to find out more. Create and Connect Film As part of National Volunteer’s

 

This May, to coincide with International Dylan Thomas Day, Span Arts Pembrokeshire’s much loved community arts organisation is embarking on an exciting new digital venture.  Calling on the many talents of their volunteers and the wider community we are working towards an online performance of Under Milk Wood through online video conferencing with the ambition to live stream to YouTube for digital theatre-goers to enjoy. The venture has come about through Span’s Digidol project which has been piloting ways in which digital technology can be used creatively to help with issues such as social well being and rural isolation.  The project could not be more timely given the continuing restrictions on our daily lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic as we continue to be advised to #StayAtHome. Whilst we may not be able to visit our favourite seaside places or go about our normal daily business we can still dream.  The play idea was born when the span team held their first video conferenc

 

Ym mis Mai, i gyd-fynd â Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Dylan Thomas, mae Celfyddydau Span mewn cydweithrediad a Menter Iaith Sir Benfro a Cered- Menter iaith Ceredigion yn cychwyn ar fenter ddigidol newydd gyffrous. Gan alw ar dalentau niferus cymunedau Gogledd Sir Benfro a De Sir Ceredigion maent wedi dechrau gweithio tuag at berfformiad ar-lein o Dan y Wenallt sef “Dan y Wenallt Dan Glo” trwy feddalwedd fideo-gynadledda ar-lein. Mae’r fenter wedi datblygu trwy brosiect Digidol Span sydd wedi bod yn treialu ffyrdd y gellir defnyddio technoleg ddigidol yn greadigol i helpu gyda materion fel lles cymdeithasol ac arwahanrwydd gwledig.  Ni allai'r prosiect fod yn fwy amserol o ystyried y cyfyngiadau parhaus ar ein bywydau oherwydd pandemig Covid-19 wrth i ni barhau i gael ein cynghori i #ArhosaGartref  Er efallai na fyddwn yn gallu mynd o gwmpas ein busnes beunyddiol arferol, gallwn ddal i freuddwydio.  Ac wrth feddwl am ba ddrama i drio perfformio o dan yr amgylchiadau yma roedd Dan y W

 

An online creative community for Pembrokeshire, built to showcase your creative ideas to help people feel better.

 

We may be self isolating but Span’s volunteers remain a vital and active part of the team at Span Arts. With regular on line volunteer meetings, we are organising volunteer led events that we hope to roll out to audiences soon via Span’s You Tube channel. Span volunteers have also put together a Skill Share programme to ensure we all remain connected, engaged and busy! Span’s work to connect rural communities through art and wellbeing has never been more important as so many of us are alone in our homes. If you would like to join the Span volunteering team – now is a great time. For more information on being a Span volunteer, email Siobhan@span-arts.org.uk Stay well and stay in touch!

 

Span's Digital intern Geraint Pickard Skeats presents his online A-Maze-ing Easter Game! Geraint has been working with the Digidol project as a volunteer since last May.  Geraint is studying Information Technology at Pembrokeshire Sixth Form college and just loves to code.  Lucky for us at Span's Clwb Digi his latest project was to design and create a computer game. We were hoping to meet this Saturday 11th April to hold a digital Easter egg hunt.  We're pleased to be able to take the egg hunt online with Geraint's brand new game! We hope you enjoy this bit of Easter fun.  Who'll be at the top of the leader board by the end of the Easter holidays? Game Instructions: Use arrow keys to move around. When your Rabbit lands on an Egg you will be asked a question. Use the up and down arrows to select the right answer then hit Enter. Get the right answer to get the Egg. Collect all the eggs, then exit the Maze for your chance to appear on the leader board! Click here to sta

 

Clwb Digi Cares is a new intergenerational concept which seeks to connect children and young people with isolated older people through Artist and Musician led online creative technology activities to reduce loneliness, improve wellbeing, develop new skills and alleviate boredom and frustration. The project aims to introduce older people to new technologies in an atmosphere of playfulness and experimentation through creative and uplifting experiences that will have tangible outcomes for both target beneficiaries. Are you aged between 8-12 or over 60, and live in Pembrokeshire? Do you like art, music, singing and/or technology? Then get in touch with our new Clwb Digi Project Manager pip@span-arts.org.uk to find out more! Clwb Digi Cares is funded by West Wales Is Kind Fund from the West Wales Care Partnership and is part of a new Kindness Campaign for Pembrokeshire. Keep in touch to find out more.

 

SPAN Digidol was a 2 year Leader and ACW funded project designed to open up culture across the whole of Pembrokeshire through developing a new way of delivering cultural services via digital technology to rural communities.

 

Since February 2018 Span Arts have been running monthly arts and technology sessions for young people at our offices in Narberth. Clwb Digi was set up initially to cater for 8 – 12 year olds and has introduced young people to a number of different activities ranging from animation, app making, electric painting and live looping. The series kicked off with attendees taking part in the Span Arts animation competition to create an ident for Span Digidol. The winning animations appear in this short film: The sessions have been held from 10am to 1pm on Saturday mornings. Participant feedback from recent sessions has stated: “It was fun and challenging to do.” “Very entertaining and easy to follow.” “Got to do what you wanted to do in the activity.” Clwb Digi was developed through Span Arts’ Digidol project funded by LEADER and the Arts Council of Wales which was set up to explore new ways in which digital technology can be used creatively to increase connectiv

 

We are working hard behind the scenes to develop a diverse and uplifting programme of online events and activities in celebration of our Span Digidol/Digital project. But whilst we are at it, we thought you might like to see some other interesting creative things to do online so we have started a blog. Keep visiting as we will keep adding to it
Google Arts & Culture: Featuring content from over 2000 leading museums and archives - a feast for the eyes!

 

The Span Arts building will be temporarily closed from Tuesday 17th March until further notice due to the Government’s announcement of emergency measures being put in place on Tuesday night.    Span Arts has had to take the difficult decision to cancel or postpone our forthcoming programme of events and also cancel all community activities held in the building to protect our audience, volunteers and staff.  The Span Arts team however, are keen to tell us that although they have had to shut their doors, they will remain active on projects and online.    “Our team is working hard setting up office at home and coming up with a range of creative new ways to keep people from being isolated at home.  It has rarely felt as important as it does now to combat isolation and loneliness and help people feel better, happy and connected in Pembrokeshire” says Kathryn Lambert, Director of Span Arts.   The new measures will devastate an already fragil

 

In the past week we've witnessed Italians singing from their balconies and have been reminded of the Italian anarchist playwright Dario Fo's words,'cân sing, will sing' (well something like that anyway!).
We're sorry we've had to put our singing workshops on hold but are determined to find an alternative solution to this situation and are investigating ways in which we can facilitate a virtual Cân Sing workshop online.

 

Map digidol arlein yw Map Digi Penfro sy’n caniatáu i bobl gofnodi gwybodaeth sy’n bwysig iddyn nhw am leoliadau lle maen nhw’n byw neu’n teithio drwyddynt. Gellir cofnodi gwybodaeth ar ffurf testun neu ddelwedd gan gynnwys ffotograffau, lluniau, recordiadau sain- hyd yn oed ffilmiau byrion. Datblygwyd y prosiect dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf fel rhan o Span Digidol gan gychwyn gyda phenwythnos dwys yn archwilio Garn Fawr a’r ardal gyfagos yng Ngorffennaf 2019.  Dilynwyd y gwaith yma gyda diwrnodau gweithdy yn Arberth, Aber Llydan a Trefdraeth. Gweithdy Map Digi Penfro - Garn Fawr Ar yr 28ain o Fawrth roeddwn yn gobeithio cynnal gweithdy yn Llanusyllt.  Oherwydd y sefyllfa gyfredol gyda’r pandemig Covid-19 ni fydd y gweithdy yma’n cael ei gynnal. Map Digi Penfro Fodd bynnag mae’r map yn aros ar-lein ac mae’n dal yn bosib ychwanegu ato.  Mae’n hawdd iawn i’w ddefnyddio ac mae ‘na gyfarwyddiadau ar y safle i’w dilyn. Os ydych yn gaeth i gartref ar h

 

Map Digi Penfro is an online digital map that allows people to record information that is important to them about the places they live in and pass through.  Information can be recorded as text or image including photographs, drawings, audio recordings and even short films. The project was developed over the past year as part of Span Digidol starting with an intensive weekend at Garn Fawr in July 2019 followed by day workshops in Narberth, Broad Haven and Newport. There is much of interest to see and hear.  Equally you may have your own points of interest to add.  We'd love you to add to the map! View the map here. For more information about the project take a look at this film made after our first mapping weekend: For more information about previous workshops see our blog posts: Narberth: Broad Haven and St Brides Bay: Newport: Map Digi Penfro has been developed through Span Arts’ Digidol project funded by LEADER and the Arts Council of Wales which is explor

 

The Span Arts building will be temporarily closed from Tuesday 17 March until further notice.  Span Arts however will remain active and our team will be working from home. How long this needs to last, we don’t know, but we really do hope it contributes to slowing the spread of infection for the benefit of all. We either have or will be cancelling events in March and April in the first instance and will contact customers as soon as possible to let you know and arrange a refund. However our project activity remains busy and vital and we are working hard to find alternative and creative ways to provide support, connection and respite for all, especially those most vulnerable. It has rarely felt as important as it does now to combat isolation and loneliness and help people feel better, happy, and connected in Pembrokeshire. Keep well and much love from Span Arts. Dydd Mawrth, Mawrth 17eg 2020 Bydd adeilad Celfyddydau Span yn cau dros dro o ddydd Mawrth, Mawrth 17 am gyfnod amhe

 

Saturday 2nd May sees the return of Narberth's The BIG Plant Sale, one of the most important dates on Pembrokeshire’s gardening calendar. The Plant Sale hosts a huge range of stalls with an impressive range of flowers, herbs and vegetable plants, as well as specialist stock including bamboos, pond plants, succulents and cacti. Along with everything a gardener dreams of, there will also be a live music stage, food stalls and a raffle. The Plant Sale has grown bigger and bigger every year, now in its 26th year, and has been described as "the start of the summer social season". It's a diverse and fun-packed day not only for the green fingers amongst us, but whole community. Not only is it an important date in the gardening calendar, it is also hugely important for Span Arts as it helps raises funds for the Narberth-based charity committed to providing performances and arts experiences for people from all over Pembrokeshire. Last year, over 1,300 visitors attended the event over th